The weekly sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1886-1887, 1887-04-28
TO TENNESSEE AFOOT.
A PEDESTRIAN TOUR THROUGH
NORTH-WESTERN CAROLINA.

"A 4 1OOf6 HI
NORTH-WESTERN CAROLINA.
Entertaining Description of a Portion
of Our State About Which Little Has
Heretofore Been Written.
BY PROF. L. B. WURREsCHKE.
PAPER NO. II.
The pinacle of the Pilot had been
constantly enveloped in clouds up to
now-an interesting phenomenon to us,
when one considers that, as was quite
apparent on closer inspection-this
cloud envelope was constantly chang
ing. For the aqueous vapors drifting
past rapidly were, on coming in con-
tact with the cold rack, instantly con-
densed inta visible clouds; so there
seemed to be a permanent cloud,
whilst its substance was ever chang
ing. Now, however, the pinacle began
to stand out bright and clear-a noble
sight. Some cold provisions taken
along from our last nights lodging
place, tasted splendidly with the spring
water, making our dinner for the day.
Things began decidedly to look
bright. An old little buggy, with a
very poor horse before it, and two
young men from Stokes county-ped-
dlers [ suppose-walking aside of it.,
we passed and repassed quite a number
of times on this day and the next, un-
til we had become almost well ac-
quainted with the two men, from
whom, at the end, at Dobson, we took
quite a regular friendly parting. They
intended on this day to travel even
further than we, so, since the horse
was but poor one, looking as shaky
as the old rattletrap behind it, we felt
that we bad no cause to fear that we
should not be able to make our Jour
ney. We walked on, mostly in woods
that made us teel like walking through
a grand park. It was the Creators
own park. No lack of interesting mat
ter either-sometimes a few dwelling
houses, then some interesting creature
new to us: What gigantic wasps one
sees in those woods they must be
stingers indeed one of them looked
like very queen of wasps. How they
are armed! What blessing. how
ever, that the more powerful the Gre
atures are, the less instruments for
mischief the Creator has allowed them.
1t is only the small and the creeping
and hiding creatures that sting and
are poisonous. If lions and tigers were
poisonous, or if horses and cattle had
stings and claws, what bad world it
would be to live in. Or if a really
great mana man of powerful mind,
could be mean and venomous-but
stop! one might become personal if
following out that train of thought.
About six miles west of the Pilot
mountain we came at last near to the
Ararat river. The name reminds US
of the old tradition, probably believed
by many yet, that the Pilot is the
Mount Ararat of the Bible surely
not bad place for the Ark to rest,
between the big and little pinacle.
Dense woods, while the road descends
rapidly, and the roaring of a great
river becomes audible long before we
see the river itself at last. And it was
indeed a river not to be despised at
least so yards broad, running deep
and full within its banks and racing
along from its mountain home with
speed. There happened to be a canoe
tied among the bushes. In this we
crossed safely, padding for very life
against the strong current, assisted in
the work by some experience in boat
ing from younger years, and by my
reasoning out the effect produced by
the paddle in connection with the cur
rent. My son, who is at home in all
quite a number Of times, either swim
ming or in the canoe. We took away
a big impression of this Ararat river.
| think of it as a mighty, dangerous
and angry stream.
1t was a warm and pleasant sun
shiny afternoon, about 3 D. M, when
after passing Sloan Church, we ar
rived nearly three miles west of the
Ararat river, at the mill, factory and
small store of Maj. Dick Reaves, with
whom we intended to stay over night
The good old Major, whom we had
never seen before, received us kindly
and jovially, so that we were soon good
friends with him. 1 stayed about the
store for good while, smoking cigars
which Maj. r. had had made from his
own tobacco for private consumption.
They certainly had the merit of smok
ing very easily and their taste was
good. A large wagon with two oxen
before it was then just getting ready to
drive down to the Majors dwelling
house, and he asked us would we like
ride in an oxcart? Of course we
did, for this kind of conveyance we
had never yet tried, hence this was a
chance not to be lost. Presently
we arrived at the dwelling house.
There are really two dwelling houses